According to the just-released data, there were 19.7 million new venereal infections in 2008, bringing the country's grand total to 110,197,000 people with STDs.

Of the new cases, nearly 10 million were among people 15 to 24 years old. Which, clearly, is pretty damn terrifying. Especially when we compare that number to data from the National Center for Education Statistics, which shows that, in the 2007-2008 school year, 1,524,092 bachelor's degrees were awarded in the United States—meaning that new STDs outnumbered college degrees more than 6 to 1.

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Granted, most people tend to earn their B.A.s around age 22, so this comparison may seem a little unfair. But it doesn't change the fact that those in this age group are still more likely to get an STD than get their diplomas—meaning that having safe sex is more important than ever.